100% right and on the money. if you could have made that a little funnier, i'd sig it
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My Band or My Conscience
- Thread starter bad_andy
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So long as your personal performance isn’t directly speaking to their cause, it’s really not a biggie.
Bravo!! Glad to hear it. The BIGGEST part of becoming a "Professional" entertainer is coming to the realization that there are certain times when we have to do things we'd probably "rather not do"...I congratulate your decision..
And, FWIW....I was once stranded (while on tour) not too far from you in Lincoln. HUGE snowstorm!! Actually had a lot of fun, though!!
Yep!!! It's AMAZING how many guys will starve to death over principles.....
I could throw out a few names (You probably know them) who "publicly" come out against this or that...then do the exact opposite when the curtain is pulled in the voting booth....Most of these guys have a helluva lot more money than me, and fully intend to protect it and make more!
HEHE.....you are correct!!
I remember it being colder than hell and the tour manager saying "Boys, we ain't doing a Buddy Holly tonight"....that was good enough for me....
I can't recall the name of the hotel/motel, but it was like on "O" street and there was a GREAT BAR there....By the time we, and the other guests were done the bartender was yelling "WE GOT NO MORE DAMN LIQUOR!!!"
I remember it being colder than hell and the tour manager saying "Boys, we ain't doing a Buddy Holly tonight"....that was good enough for me....
I can't recall the name of the hotel/motel, but it was like on "O" street and there was a GREAT BAR there....By the time we, and the other guests were done the bartender was yelling "WE GOT NO MORE DAMN LIQUOR!!!"
I do think that there are reasons to turn down work, but I don't think this is quite that situation. Someone asked if we were being asked to play a Nazi rally. I'd turn that down without thinking about it and would stop working with a band that expected that from me. But while I don't like what they stand for and would not lend my services to them even for pay as a solo performer, this group is nothing near that extreme or inherently immoral (or well organized, for that matter).
So before we start bashing the idealists in the thread, any of us would have to admit that someone who stands up for what they believe is admirable so long as the good outweighs the negative consequences of that decision. Sometimes doing the right thing means struggling to pay the rent. But in this case, I realized that I do still owe it to myself as a professional and to the other band members to honor my obligation to the band. I almost overlooked that and in hindsight I'm glad I didn't.
Thanks for helping me see that, guys.
So before we start bashing the idealists in the thread, any of us would have to admit that someone who stands up for what they believe is admirable so long as the good outweighs the negative consequences of that decision. Sometimes doing the right thing means struggling to pay the rent. But in this case, I realized that I do still owe it to myself as a professional and to the other band members to honor my obligation to the band. I almost overlooked that and in hindsight I'm glad I didn't.
Thanks for helping me see that, guys.
Andy, I know you've already made your decision, but you also need to consider who controls the band (I couldn't see info in the above).
If the band has a band "leader" and the "leader" pays you etc, then you are truly just being paid to play and should have no problems doing the gig. It's the leader's reputation that is being tarnished, and you are just along for the ride.
If the band is a collaborative effort where members get a say in how things are run, then your problem is primarily one of communication: Where was the band meeting to discuss this issue? Your secondary problem is that your view of the band image, your personal beliefs, and your desire to be paid are in conflict. Figure out which is most important to you, then return to the band meeting and discuss, so that future gigs are booked accordingly (or to notify them of your departure)...
Thats my opinion, anyway...
Dekker
If the band has a band "leader" and the "leader" pays you etc, then you are truly just being paid to play and should have no problems doing the gig. It's the leader's reputation that is being tarnished, and you are just along for the ride.
If the band is a collaborative effort where members get a say in how things are run, then your problem is primarily one of communication: Where was the band meeting to discuss this issue? Your secondary problem is that your view of the band image, your personal beliefs, and your desire to be paid are in conflict. Figure out which is most important to you, then return to the band meeting and discuss, so that future gigs are booked accordingly (or to notify them of your departure)...
Thats my opinion, anyway...
Dekker
You're just hired help -- just like the caterer or the guy who sets up the
tents or the guy who sets up the port-a-potties. Doing your job is not
an endorsement of the organization. Don't worry about it.
tents or the guy who sets up the port-a-potties. Doing your job is not
an endorsement of the organization. Don't worry about it.
Reading the responses here, I think part of the problem is not knowing how extreme the extremist group is.
Al Quaeda/Nazi/KKK/pedophile priests?? I think there is a line a person doesn't cross.
And obviously if you're an act that has prominence, you need to consider your image. Think of Dixie Chicks, where some inappropriate non-musical comments earned them a lifetime ban from Country Music®. But if you're not already prominent, no one will notice.
If it's borderline acceptable to the band's image, it might be smart to leave it off the band's tour date list on your facebook and all, just say "commissioned event" or something like that.
Al Quaeda/Nazi/KKK/pedophile priests?? I think there is a line a person doesn't cross.
And obviously if you're an act that has prominence, you need to consider your image. Think of Dixie Chicks, where some inappropriate non-musical comments earned them a lifetime ban from Country Music®. But if you're not already prominent, no one will notice.
If it's borderline acceptable to the band's image, it might be smart to leave it off the band's tour date list on your facebook and all, just say "commissioned event" or something like that.
I'm curious to know if the band is your band, and the songs are your originals, or if it's a typical paid gig where you're playing covers, or playing to someone else's music.
If it were an equal say band, even if it were popular enough to have management and pay you, I'd say no. My bandmates would likely say no too... but that's because we've been sweating it out for a while, and if we ever do get paid, we'll own it equally.
If you're getting a paycheck and you view it as a job, take the check and do the gig. We all do things we don't agree with at work. It's not "selling out" it's just selling.
If it were an equal say band, even if it were popular enough to have management and pay you, I'd say no. My bandmates would likely say no too... but that's because we've been sweating it out for a while, and if we ever do get paid, we'll own it equally.
If you're getting a paycheck and you view it as a job, take the check and do the gig. We all do things we don't agree with at work. It's not "selling out" it's just selling.
This.
The best you can hope for is that most or all of your fellow bandmembers agree with you, and the band could go to the management and say "we'd rather not play for this group". However that could easily ruin the relationship, so be careful. If the band is divided or doesn't care either way, forget this option.
Best scenario, which you seem to have already decided on, is hold your nose and play the gig, take the money and feed your family. Don't worry too much about it.
You get to do this:
that's what really matters!
My dad told a story from his early days as a lawyer. He was asked to represent a client who was just plain in the wrong and wanted to worm out of his liabilities with a dishonest defense. So my dad went to a senior partner in the firm and asked him about it. The older lawyer's response was, "you know, you never HAVE to accept a case." So he didn't.
He went on to a very successful career with a reputation for integrity that I think won him a lot of cases just walking in the door -- this in a profession that's infamous for its lack of honesty.
I would say that if you really believe that playing the gig compromises your integrity, don't play it. Even if this band were to fire you over it (and if you really have been an asset over the past two years, I'd be really surprised if they did), you can both sleep with yourself at night and may even get a rep for a solid kind of guy people would want to work with.
He went on to a very successful career with a reputation for integrity that I think won him a lot of cases just walking in the door -- this in a profession that's infamous for its lack of honesty.
I would say that if you really believe that playing the gig compromises your integrity, don't play it. Even if this band were to fire you over it (and if you really have been an asset over the past two years, I'd be really surprised if they did), you can both sleep with yourself at night and may even get a rep for a solid kind of guy people would want to work with.
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